Critics: Mental health services in Louisiana are shortchanged

1:47 AM,
Mar. 11, 2013

Written by

Nicholas Persac
npersac@theadvertiser.com

The debate between advocacy groups who say Louisiana should expand its mental health care services and state officials who believe the public sector provides adequate treatment options will continue Tuesday night during a public forum in The Daily Advertiser's community room.

The planned nationwide expansion of Medicaid - which is opposed by Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and appears unlikely to happen in the state - is at the heart of much of the dispute.

Approximately 272,000 uninsured Louisiana residents would be covered by a Medicaid expansion, of which about 8.5 percent have a ...